SHILLONG:
Officers of the Customs Commissionerate(preventive),(CCP) Shillong, seized 14 pieces of gold, weighing a total of 1632.450 grams and valued at Rs. 1,01,78,326, along with a vehicle in Jhalupara, Shillong on September 23.
Reported to have acted on credible information regarding a significant amount of foreign-origin gold being smuggled through the Indo-Bangladesh borders of Meghalaya the interception took place on Saturday morning where the vehicle, driven by a resident of Rangia, Assam, originally from West Bengal, was found to be carrying smuggled gold.
Upon interrogation, the occupant confessed to having the gold in his possession. Subsequently, the gold was seized from two plastic pouches.
Further investigation led to the identification of a middleman who had given the occupant 7 pieces of gold. This intermediary was intercepted at Jhalupara and the gold was obtained from a shop in Barabazzar Shillong. Following an operation at the mentioned shop, Rs. 9.5 lakh was discovered. The shopkeeper was questioned, and he confirmed that the gold was smuggled across the Indo-Bangladesh border. Three people have been caught, and the inquiry is still ongoing.
In a related case from the last month, In a separate case, the Customs Commissionerate in Shillong confiscated 5 gold biscuits weighing 582.70 grams from a passenger that was intercepted near Jorabat last month. This gold was smuggled across the Indo-Bangladesh border at Bholaganj as well. Immediate follow-up actions at the Lumparing residence where the gold was collected leading to the recovery of Rs. 3.96 crore in Indian money, believed to be the sale earnings of smuggled gold, which was also seized. The inquiry into this case is now ongoing.